Francona returns after health scare

CLEVELAND — Indians manager Terry Francona returned to work Wednesday after being hospitalized for a few hours Tuesday night.

Francona felt ill late in the Indians' 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He left the dugout in the eighth inning and did not meet with reporters afterward.

"I was having a hard time during the game," he said Wednesday. "I was lightheaded. I knew my heart was going too fast and I had one of the trainers check me. I finally came inside because I was like 'Something's not right.'"

Bench coach Brad Mills filled in for Francona for the final inning and for his postgame news conference.

"I was really out of it," Francona said. "Millsie said something and I kind of looked at him. That's when he got nervous because I missed a couple of things."

Francona said he was taken from Progressive Field to Cleveland Clinic in an ambulance. He underwent a battery of tests and was given an IV because he was dehydrated.

"It scared me a little bit," he said. "That doesn't usually happen."

Francona said team president Chris Antonetti drove him home from the hospital early Wednesday.

"You show up the next day and you're more embarrassed than anything," he said. "I'm just tired today, which they said I would be but I'm OK."

Francona managed to keep his sense of humor.

"They checked my brain and they didn't find anything, which did not surprise me," he said.

The 58-year-old Francona missed a game last season in Washington because of chest pains, but said he didn't experience that symptom Tuesday.

He's in his fifth season with Cleveland after winning two World Series titles in Boston. Francona guided the Indians to their first World Series appearance since 1997 last year. Cleveland lost in seven games to the Chicago Cubs.

GRANDERSON HITS 300: Curtis Granderson opened a five-run eighth inning with his 300th homer, a tiebreaking shot that helped the New York Mets rally past the Chicago Cubs for a 9-4 victory Wednesday night.

Injury replacement Lucas Duda added a three-run homer off Hector Rondon, and T.J. Rivera capped the outburst with an RBI single for his third hit.

With sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto on the bench to begin the game, the resurgent Mets came back from a 4-1 deficit and took two of three from the defending World Series champions despite losing second baseman Neil Walker to a left leg injury.

SABATHIA SPRAINS HAMSTRING: New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia was diagnosed with Grade 2 left hamstring strain Wednesday and could be out at least four weeks.

The Yankees have yet to place Sabathia, whose next scheduled start would have been Sunday, on the disabled list. He injured the hamstring pushing off the mound Tuesday.

It could be a big loss for the Yankees, who were seeing the left-hander pitch like an ace again in his last six starts (0.99 ERA).

Grade 2 hamstring strains can take four to eight weeks to fully recover. Though normally associated with runners, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said they also can be a difficult challenge for pitchers.

SHIELDS READY TO RETURN: James Shields is ready to come back to the Chicago White Sox's rotation.

The 35-year-old right-hander is scheduled to start Sunday at Toronto after being sidelined the past two months because of a strained right back muscle.

Shields said Wednesday he feels "pretty good" and is "ready to rock" after three rehab starts for Triple-A Charlotte. He threw 90 pitches Tuesday, allowing two runs and six hits over five innings.

Sidelined since April 16, Shields is 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA in three starts after a rough first season in Chicago.

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